EU 'on track to meet air quality targets'

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is confident the EU will meet its air quality targets, despite seeing an increase in greenhouse gas emissions last year.

According to new figures released by the organisation, the continent is still in a strong position to achieve its goal of curbing pollution by 20 per cent by 2020, as overall output was down by 10.7 per cent throughout the EU-15 countries last year when compared with 1990.

There was a 2.4 per cent increase in greenhouse gas emissions between 2009 and 2010, which the EEA has attributed to the colder winter and return to economic growth.

"Alongside renewable energy or energy efficiency, efforts to reduce water pollution from agriculture also led to emission reductions," commented EEA executive director Jacqueline McGlade.

However, the EEA warned that Luxembourg, Italy and Austria are not on course to achieve their air quality targets and the body encouraged the government in each country to take action.

The World Wildlife Fund recently stated that money made through environmental initiatives such as the Emissions Trading Scheme - which will force airlines to pay for their carbon emissions - should be reinvested directly into the battle against climate change.

Posted by Claire Manning